Electrical connector apparatus have been provided for commonly connecting a plurality of conductors. An early commoning connector device included an insulating support on which at least one metallic junction bar or terminal strip was mounted. Clamping devices or screws were used to clamp the ends of the conductors to the junction bar to thereby interconnect the conductors to one another. In the case of insulated conductor wires, the ends of the wires were stripped to expose the conductor ends for clamping. Crimping-type terminals also have been used on such junction bars or strips to common the conductors.
From such early commoning connectors, improvements have been made, such as providing the connectors with insulation-displacement terminals so that the insulated conductor wires do not have to be prepared by stripping the insulation therefrom. An example of such a commoning connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,763 to Marks, dated Oct. 14, 1980.
This invention is directed to providing a commoning connector of the character described which includes further improvements, such as features for preliminarily or temporarily holding the wires prior to termination, and for severing a junction bar or terminal strip to a desired length from a continuous terminal strip.